Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
CBE Life Sci Educ. 2011 Spring;10(1):18-24. doi: 10.1187/cbe.10-07-0085.
In introductory laboratory courses, many universities are turning from traditional laboratories with predictable outcomes to inquiry-inspired, project-based laboratory curricula. In these labs, students are allowed to design at least some portion of their own experiment and interpret new, undiscovered data. We have redesigned the introductory biology laboratory course at Brandeis University into a semester-long project-based laboratory that emphasizes concepts and contains an element of scientific inquiry. In this laboratory, students perform a site-directed mutagenesis experiment on the gene encoding human γD crystallin, a human eye lens protein implicated in cataracts, and assess the stability of their newly created protein with respect to wild-type crystallin. This laboratory utilizes basic techniques in molecular biology to emphasize the importance of connections between DNA and protein. This project lab has helped engage students in their own learning, has improved students' skills in critical thinking and analysis, and has promoted interest in basic research in biology.
在入门实验室课程中，许多大学正在将传统的、结果可预测的实验室转变为以探究为灵感、以项目为基础的实验室课程。在这些实验室中，学生可以设计自己的实验的至少一部分，并解释新的、未被发现的数据。我们已经重新设计了布兰代斯大学的生物学入门实验室课程，将其改为一个为期一个学期的基于项目的实验室，强调概念，并包含科学探究的元素。在这个实验室中，学生对编码人γD 晶体蛋白的基因进行了定点诱变实验，该蛋白是人眼晶状体蛋白，与白内障有关，并评估他们新创建的蛋白相对于野生型晶体蛋白的稳定性。这个实验室利用分子生物学的基本技术来强调 DNA 和蛋白质之间的联系的重要性。这个项目实验室帮助学生参与到自己的学习中，提高了学生批判性思维和分析能力，并促进了学生对生物学基础研究的兴趣。
